CAPON. 



mat they have found the old Chinese instru- 

 ments, a drawing of which is given in fig. 1, 

 preferable to all others. 



In addition to these instruments, a regular 

 Chinese set contains a flat kind of spatula 

 something like the upper part of a spoon 

 handle. This is about four inches long and 

 half an inch wide, and slightly curved at each 



FJ 



CAPON. 



end in opposite directions. It is for the pur 

 pose of pushing the intestines cut of the way 

 an office very well performed by the handle of 

 a teaspoon. 



Fig. 1 represents the instruments used in 

 making capons, according to the Chinese me- 

 thod, reduced only about one-fourth their actual 

 sizes. 



1 



The operating table contrived in Philadelphia, 

 and before referred to, is represented in the 

 following cut, fig. 2. 



a, a knife, the edge of which resembles that of a chisel with a bevel or slanting edge, half an inch in the 

 greatest width; the other end or handle consists of two forcep blades terminating at a, a, in slender points, and 

 ftirmiii!.' spring forceps. The whole length from the ruuini; edge t the end of the pliers 13 aliont six inches. 



r, c, two broad blunt hooks of silver or other metal, t-.irh hill" an inch in width ;md one and a half in length. 



b, an elastic how, >i.\ inches lonir, made of whalebone or rat in. about the thirkn.-- of a I a rue quill, and sol it hori- 

 zontally into two pieces. To the ends of this bow the broad hooks are ;itta< lied by strong < onls uhoiit li;ilf an inch 

 long. At the end d, the cord embraces only the lower half of the spin how, whilst both pieces are included in 

 tin' triaf, at the end t. 



/, is a small ring which encircles both portions of the bow. When the hooks are first pin in and only half the 

 strength of the how is required 10 art upon them, this ring is slipped to tin- end r. Hut if the whole strength of 

 tin? how is needed to force the hooka apart and stretch the wound open, the ring is passed towards the end d. 

 Thus, by means of the split bow and sliding ring, the strum upon the hooks can be increased or slackened at 

 pleasure. 



i. u tube of silver or other metal three or four inches long, made square at the upper, and flattened at the 

 lower end A, to the width of three-tenths of an inch; this tube is for the purpose of passing the fibre or hair 

 ligature m, fbnBht| th- loop w. 



g, a narrow curv.-d spoon, the slender handle of which tapers off and has a steel point fitted into it, furnished 

 at the extremity with a very small hook, k; the inner edge of this hook is sometimes sharpened. 



This table may be about 2$ feet long by 1$ 

 feet wide, and 2 feet high. At two of its cor- 

 ners it can have a raised moulding about an 

 inch high, extending along the sides six or nine 

 inches, for the purpose of placing the instru- 

 ments at one corner and at the other some of 

 the feathers under a stone, to keep them from 

 being blown away. On one side there is a 

 slit c passing through the table, about 1 inch 

 long by an inch wide, running diagonally; 

 being about three inches from the end and 6 

 from the side. Through this slit the padded 

 band or soft list, d, d, for confining the wings, 

 passes below to be attached to the lever e. 

 This lever has a 4 or 5 Ib. weight hung to it, 

 and works on a screw or pin, by which it is 

 attached to the leg. When not in use the lever 

 rests on a pin or ledge in the other leg. On 

 being led down, the attached band clasps the 

 wings of the chicken lying on the table, with 

 greater or less force as the weight is drawn to 

 or from the end of the lever. The next thing 

 to be described is the lever, h, upon the table, 



261 



